Automatic ashtray feeder container



.Feb.27,'1940. A.BAFF 2,191,511"

AUTOMATIC ASHTRAY FEEDER I CONTAINER Filed Aug. 20, 1938' jig- INVENTORATTORNEY yi' N T'ED PATENT] FFICE Patented Feb. 27, 1940 AUTOMATICASHTRAY FEEDER CONTAINER Abraham Ban} North Arlington. N. J.

Application August 20, 1938, -.Serial No. 225,871

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in dispensing apparatus or devices,particularly to an automatically acting feeder for articles, such as forinstance trays or coasters, and more particularly ashtrays' stacked in'a container in any suitable size and number depending upon the size ofthe container.

It is one of the principal objects of my invention to provide such adevice the tray container moval and the container will always presentthe a pearance of being filled.

Another object of my invention is the provision of sucha device havingits upper margin provided at certain points with suitably cut out placesso that the fingers can easily grip the margin of the uppermost tray forits ready removal from the container.

' Still another object of my invention is the provision of a device ofthis character in which the stacked ashtrays rest on a suitable supportas for instance a disc which is automatically and successively fedtowards the opentop of the container by means of a helical springadapted to rest fiat upon the bottom of the container and engaging saiddisc for their automatic feeding towards the open top of the container.

A further object of my invention is the pro vision of a tray dispensingdevice the container I of which is equipped at its upper margin with apluralityof cigarette or cigar rests which aresecured to the, containerand project over the inner margin at theupper end of the container so asto stop the feeding of the trays when the uppermost tray has beenremoved.

A stillfurther object of my invention is the provision of a containerfor the ashtrays which may be provided with a handle or handles and inwhich one or more cigarettes may be placed in anyone of the trays orpaper napkins" or the like may be disposed between the individual trays.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become morefully known as the description thereof proceeds and will then bespecifically def ned in the. appended claims.

In the accompanying drawin forming a material part of, this disclosure:

Fig. l is a top plan View of an ashtray feeder constructed according tomy invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the sam on line 2- -2 of Figure 1.v

As illustrated, a container 10 of suitable shape and material having abottom ll secured to its wall 'by means of the screws l2 has a spring l3located therein which when compressed rests with its lower flattenedportion upon said bottom, while its upper end bears against theunderside of the .plate or disc l4 movably arranged within thecontainer.

Upon this plate or disc rest a plurality of trays I5 nested so as to beindividuallyand successive- 15 ly fed by the expansion of the springtowards the open upper end of the container.

Cigarette or cigar rests are provided at the upper edge of the containerand are designated They are fastened by means of screws l8, 9 tosuitable shoulders in the-container, and ex.- tend with their inner endsover the outer margin of the uppermost tray to hold the feed when thistray has been removed by the fingers grippingits margin through thedepression 20 in the upper margin of the container. If desirable, acigarette '2I may be placed between two trays, While the trays may-belined with suitable paper napkins 22 or the like and the container mayor may not be provided with suitable handles.

In use. the trays are stacked upon the spring supported bottom discmovably arranged within the container and when pressed down, compressingthe spring, the uppermost tray will engage with its outer margin theunderside of the cigarette or cigar rests at the inner end thereof tohold the spring compressed. When now one or more trays are removed byfingers gripping their margins through the depressions 20, the springwill gradually expand and feed the trays successively to the open end ofthe container. Handles may be provided for suitably handling the device,and if so desired, cigarettes held between two adjoining trays may besuccessively presented to a smoker while the napkins between theindividual trays will serve any desired purpose.

It will be understood that I have shown and described the preferred formof my invention as one example only of the many possible ways topractically construct the device, and that I may make such changes inthe general arrangement of the same and in the construction of its minordetails as come withinthe scope of the appended claims without departurefrom the spirit of my invention and the principles involved.

claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. A feeder for automatically feeding and delivering ashtrayscomprising a container having a bottom and an upstanding wall, and anopen top, a movable plate in said container, a helical spring having aflat bottom resting on the bottom of said container, and engaging saidplate for gradually feeding the said plate towards the open top of. thecontainer, said container having a plurality of depressions in its uppermargin to present a fingerhold for gripping the uppermost ashtray tofacilitate its removal from the, container, and a means to stop thefeeding upon-the removal of the individual uppermost ashtray of thestack. 7 2. A feeder for automatically feeding a stac of ashtrays anddelivering the same comprising movably disposed in said container, aspring between the bottom of said container and said'movable plate, aplurality of movable elements secured on the upper margin ofsaidcontainer and adapted to project into the path of the nested acontainer having a, bottom and an upstanding wall, said container beingopen at the top, a plate ashtrays fed during the expansion of saidspring gradually and individually towards the open top, said elementsconstituting stops to stop the feeding of the ashtrays upon the removalof the in-; dividual uppermost ashtray, and said container havingrecesses in its upper margin to facilitate" the gripping ofthe uppermosttrayof the stack coming intoalignment with the recesses,

ABRAHAM BAFFQ

